John Hirasaki

Career Hirasaki was hired by the Landing and Recovery Division of the Manned Spacecraft Center of NASA in 1966.

Apollo 11 Landing and Recovery Division engineers Frank Janes, Paul Kruppenbacher, and John Hirasaki during water egress tests on October 5, 1966 at Ellington Air Force Base. The Apollo 11 mission represented the first contact of humans with a non-Earth surface and concern was expressed by the National Academies of Science that the returning astronauts and spacecraft might inadvertently carry extraterrestrial life which could pose a "catastrophic" risk to humankind. Anxiety was exacerbated by the presence of President of the United States Richard Nixon aboard USS Hornet, the United States Navy aircraft carrier tasked with recovery of the astronauts. Prior to the recovery, the engineers drew straws, Hirasaki drawing the short straw.

Personal life Hirasaki's grandfather was the farmer and businessman Kichimatsu Kishi. As of 2023, he lives in Culver City, California.